Toner and toner manufacturing method

Abstract

Provided are a toner and a toner manufacturing method with which high image density and a broad range of color reproduction are obtained, and with which high-quality images are also obtained. The toner is composed of toner particles that comprise a binding resin containing a polyester resin and a colorant, and contains 10-1,500 ppm of a metal element selected from titanium, germanium, and aluminum, and a cyclic phenol sulfide represented by general formula (1) selected from thiacalixarene, sulfinyl thiacalixarene and sulfonyl thiacalixarene.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A toner composed of toner particles containing at least a binding resin containing a polyester resin and a colorant, wherein
 the toner contains 10 ppm to 1500 ppm of a metal element selected from titanium, germanium and aluminum, and cyclic phenol sulfide represented by Formula (1) 
 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
       in the formula, X is a sulfur atom, an SO or SO 2  group; Z is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, a substituted alkyl group, an aralkyl group, an acyl group or an alkoxycarbonyl group; Y is a hydrocarbon group, a halogenated hydrocarbon group, a halogen atom, —SO 4 R 1  group or —SO 3 R 2  group, wherein R 1  and R 2  is a hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon group or a metal atom, and plural Ys may be same or different; and n is an integer of 3 to 9, and wherein the toner particles have an average circularity of 0.950 to 0.980, a volume-based median diameter of 4.5 to 8.0 μm and a volume-based particle diameter dispersion degree (CV vol  value) of 15 to 25. 
     
     
       2. The toner described in  claim 1  wherein the metal element is contained in a dispersion state in the binding resin composing toner particles. 
     
     
       3. The toner described in  claim 1 , wherein n is an integer of 4 to 6. 
     
     
       4. The toner described in  claim 1  wherein the cyclic phenol sulfide represented by Formula (1) is thiacalixarene. 
     
     
       5. The toner described in  claim 1  wherein the cyclic phenol sulfide represented by Formula (1) is sulfinyl thiacalixarene. 
     
     
       6. The toner described in  claim 1  wherein the cyclic phenol sulfide represented by Formula (1) is sulfonyl thiacalixarene. 
     
     
       7. The toner described in  claim 1 , wherein a volume-based particle diameter dispersion degree (CV vol  value) of 15 to 22. 
     
     
       8. The toner described in  claim 1 , wherein the toner particles have an average circularity of 0.955 to 0.975. 
     
     
       9. The toner described in  claim 1 , wherein a glass transition point of the polyester resin is from 30 to 60° C. 
     
     
       10. The toner described in  claim 9 , wherein a glass transition point of the polyester resin is from 35 to 54° C. 
     
     
       11. The toner described in  claim 1 , wherein a softening point of the polyester resin is from 70 to 130° C. 
     
     
       12. The toner described in  claim 11 , wherein a softening point of the polyester resin is from 80 to 120° C. 
     
     
       13. The toner described in  claim 1 , wherein weight average molecular weight of the polyester resin is from 5,000 to 500,000. 
     
     
       14. The toner described in  claim 13 , wherein weight average molecular weight of the polyester resin is from 10,000 to 100,000. 
     
     
       15. The toner described in  claim 1 , wherein number average molecular weight of the polyester resin is from 3,500 to 400,000. 
     
     
       16. The toner described in  claim 15 , wherein number average molecular weight of the polyester resin is from 7,000 to 80,000.